Welcome to Getting Curious. I am Jonathan Fennas and every week I sit down for a 40-minute conversation with a brilliant expert to learn all about something that makes me curious.

On today's episode I'm joined by Tony, Grammy, and Emmy Award winner and not just any Tony Award winner.

She is one of every single acting category Tony. She's the only actor to ever win all four acting categories.

Audra McDonald, I hope you didn't just press your car, honey, because she's major. She's an icon. She's also the co-founder of Black Theatre United.

Where I ask her, how can we support the theatre community during the pandemic and beyond?

Welcome to Getting Curious. This is Jonathan Fennas. I'm so excited so everyone. If you are a theatre queen, pull your car over, sit down, because this is going to be quite a moment.

Welcome to Getting Curious. Audra McDonald, who, if you do not know, is a record-breaking six-time Tony Award winner.

She has a two Grammys and Emmy Award, also like several other awards. It's literally just to give you an idea.

I watched this YouTube video where it took you a combined 23 minutes to accept all of the different awards in this one YouTube video.

Basically, our question for the week is, how can we support the theatre community during the pandemic and beyond?

There's no one better literally in the world that we could talk to. Welcome Audra McDonald.

Jonathan Fenn, thank you. It's such an honor to be with you. We're big fans of the show.

My 19-year-old daughter was flipping out that I was talking to you today. It's awesome.

Oh my god, you sing when you talk. I can't. My mouth just went dry.

I can't. Okay. So here's the thing. I've been nominated for some things, honey. I've never won something that I got nominated for.

And so I guess one question I just want to ask is like the first time you won, because I think the first of the,

because we do need to get that Oscar, which I feel like because you're in the new Aretha movie, honey,

I do feel like I smell one coming. I'm just, I'm just, I don't think that's going to be it, but thank you.

Well, something I'm just washing my face with the idea of it. I just, I'm just putting into the universe.

Like, I just got to speak into existence, but regardless. So the first time you were nominated and you're like sitting,

you're like sitting in there. If you could just take us back, like, so you're sitting there. And

you're like, because did you have that moment? You're like, oh my gosh, if I win this, like my life might change.

...